Parachute



Sept V19, 1 944 J. R. c.' QUILTER ETAL 2,358,417

. PARACHUTE Filed Sept. 14, .1942

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Patented Sept. 19, 1944 PARACHUTE John Raymond Cuthbertv Quilter and James Gregory, Woking, England Application September 14, 1942, Serial No. 458,268 `In Great Britain September 22, 1941 6 Claims.

This invention relates to parachutes for aviation and like purposes.

The invention has for its main object to provide an improved arrangement for regulating the deployment of the parachute canopy after its extraction from a pack or other container, for example by means of an auxiliary or pilot parachute.

Another object of the invention Vis to provide an improved parachute canopy having its apex or central portion connected to the aviators harness or to the load line attachment, in such a way that this apex or central portion is inverted and drawn down towards the level of the periphery. Y

A further object is to providei an improved form of parachute in whichy the highest part of. the canopy, when extracted from its container' Fig. 2 is an elevation, showing the improved parachute in the open position.

Fig. 3 shows a second construction of parachute `accordingto the invention, the canopy being again partly broken away.

In the case of a normal parachute, the main parachute canopy, having shroud lines extending from its periphery to the loop or grommet for the attachment of the load, is extracted from its pack or other container by a pilot parachute having a cord connected with the apex or center of the main parachute canopy. Prior to deployment of the latter, a large part of the resistance to free` fall of the load is furnished by the pilot parachute, with the result that the pull in the apex co-rd and the total pull in the shroud lines tend to maintain the main canopy in the conical shape which it assumes at the outset; the opening of the canopy is therefore delayed or rendered uncertain to a degree which may prove seri'- ous in the case of a short drop.

In the improved construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the apex or center al of the main parachute canopy a is connected to the loop or grommet c serving for the attachment of the load at the junction of the shroud lines b; thsconnection is effected by a central line 7" of such length that in the closed position of the parachute, this apex or center is inverted (as compared with the normal arrangement) and drawn down inside the canopy towards the periphery a2. The highest part of the canopy is thereby transferred to a zone g intermediate between .the apex or center a1 and the periphery a2, the position of this zone depending on the length of the central line f, for a given size of canopy and a given length of shroud line. The tension due to the load and normally borne by the shroud lines alone, is thus taken partly by the central line f connected to the apex a1 of the canopy.

The auxiliary parachute d is connected with the intermediate zone g by a plurality of bridle lines h' extending from the lower end of the apex cord e, the bridle lines h being preferably secured to the shroud lines b at the points where they traverse the zone g in passingacross the canopy. The bridle lines h may be equal in nurnber `to the kshroud lines b or a sub-multiple oftheir number; for example, eight bridle lines mayV be connected with alternate points in a series Vof sixteen points at which the shroud lines traverse the zone g. j

By way of example, the intermediate zone g may be of a diameter equal to about one-thirdv of the maximum diameter of the canopy, the apex a1 being drawn to about half-way between the said zone g and theV periphery a2 of the canopy in the closed condition; the length of the central connection f will then'exceed that of the free portion of each shroud line b by an amount approximately equal to the radius of the inter-l mediate zone when extended, this length being sufcient to allow the canopy to deploy to its full extent when released, as illustrated in Fig.`2.' The central connection f may consist of one line or severallines, which may be branched out to several points on the circumference ofthe vent hole (if provided) in the canopy. This connection shares with the shroud lines b the pull from the pilot parachute d to the load loop c duringVK the initial stage of the drop, so that the shroud lines are partly relieved of tension and the periph-J? K ery of the main canopy is much more free to open is fitted over or secured to the junction of the bridle lines, at the point where they are connected with the cord e from' the auxiliary parachute d, and the elastic mouth is then drawn down over the intermediate zone g of the parachute canopy, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus holding said zone as Well as the attachment lines h lightly bunched together. During the deployment of the canopy, the elastic mouth of the sock i is 'forced olf the bunchedl portion of the canopy and caused to travel up the attachment lines h as they open out, the sock collapsing in the manner of a concertina. In the fully open position of the parachute, the attachment lines h will lie radially over the dome: of the canopy, their individual length being slightly greater than the radius of the intermediate zone'g,asseen;in Fig. 2.

Instead of*n employing separate: bridle lines h, With an enclosing bag or sock i, there may be substituted a .looseconical bagmade of suitable fabric, Vhaving itsaapex fsecuredto the lower end of the corde Yand its base attached-to-theintermediate-zone `afthe'generatrix ofthe .cone being greater thanftheradius of the intermediate zone.

'The invention is'not Yrestricted -to --the relative dimensions given-above lby way ofexample; thus, Fig. -3 shows another construction in vwhich the intermediate zone -g is/.of :a :diameter equal to about -one-fifth 'of the maximum diameter of the canopy a, :and -the -apex a1 isdrawn-down only toaboutone-third-of thedepth-from the zionegto the periphery azlin'the closed position. Inthis case, .the -lengthof the centralA connection f exceedsthat Vof the: free portion of each shroud line b by an amount nearly'doublefthepradius of the intermediate vZone g when extended. The length 'of each'b'ridle-line h must of Ycoursebeat least equal tothe Vradius of the zone rgr, 'morder to 'allow athe :canopy to. assume its' proper domelikeY shape when i opened out for deployed during the drop.

A static line, attached to Yangaircraft or 'other support, or any other convenient `means maybe employed for 'extractingtheparachute from its container.

'.What We claim-is:

1. A pack parachute comprising acanopy, `a load-carrying junction` member, shroud lines-'extending :from :the periphery 'of said canopy vto said junction member,a`tens'ile'connection from said 'junction member rto 4the icentral portion of said canopy, f means foriextracting saidfparachute from'xa gcontainer, vand a plurality `of Vtensileconnections .from 'said 'extracting'mleans to points withintth'efperiphery ofsaidl canopy but external toisaid central'portionthereof, the length 'of said first-mentioned'tensile connection being such as to "draw-:down said central portion in the shape of an inverted conebelowa zone defined by-said points during normal descent ofsaidparachute.

2.A pack parachute comprising a canopy, Aa load-carrying junction member, Yshroud lines extending from the periphery-of said canopy to Y said-junction mem'bena tensile connectionffrom said junctionmember vto vthegcentral-poltion of said'canopy, means for` extracting said parachute canopy-first :from'a container, and a plurality of tensile connections from Asaid .extracting i meansV to points-withintheperiphery of said canopy but external Vto said .central Vportion thereof, said Y points :being -spaced around a4 zone constituting the highest part of said canopy during normal descent of said parachute, and said central portion being then drawn down below said zone by said rst-mentioned tensile connection.

3. A pack parachute comprising a canopy, a load-carrying junction member, shroud lines extending across said canopy and from the periphery thereof to said junction member, a tensile connection from said junctionmember to the central portion of said canopy, means for extracting said parachute canopy-first from a container, said extracting means including a plurality of tensile connections to points upon said shroud lines within the periphery of said canopy butexternal to said central Zone thereof, and a collapsible bag enclosing said last-mentioned .tensileconnections to prevent their entanglement while extracting said canopy.

4. The combination of a parachute having shroud lines extending from the periphery of the canopy .to ,a load-carrying junction member, a tensile connection from said Vjunction memberto the central portionoi r said canopy, .said 4connection .drawing ,down ,said .central :portion into the shapeof yan inverted -.cone .when -said Yparachute ldescends with a 1oad,bridle linesattached to points around azoneintermediate between-said periphery and said central portion of said canopy, and means for applying :tension to saidlbridle lines, said intermediate zone-being the ,foremost part Yof said canopy when, pul1ed by tension of said bridle lines, and the length ,of Lsaid tensile connection being such'as todrawsaid central portiondown towards lthe level of said periphery both in the initial condition of said parachute when said canopyis rst extended and in the Vfully deployed condition when descending with the load.

' 5. The combination of a ,parachute .having shroud lines extending. from the periphery ofthe canopy to a load-carrying junction member, a tensile connection from saidjunction member to the central portion Aof said canopy, said connection drawing down said central portion into the shapeY of an inverted cone when said parachute descends with' a load, bridle lines attached to points around a Zone intermediate between said periphery and saidcentral portion of said canopy, and a pilotparachute .connected `to saidbridle lines, said intermediate zone being higher than said periphery and central, portion of said canopy both when supported in theair by said pilot parachute and when fully air-borne after deployment of saidcanopy.

` 6. A parachute'comprising a canopy, a loadcarrying junction member, shroud lines extending from theperiphery of said cano-py to said junction member, ,means for .extracting said parachute canopy-rst from a container, and a tensile connectionfrom said junction member to the central portion of y,said canopy, said Aextracting means being attached ,to said canopy at po-ints other than and spaced around thecenter thereof, said shroudlines and tensile member sharing between them the pull dueto the load when'said parachute is descending,and the Ypartial pull upon saidI tensileconnection` then drawing down said centralportion of the canopy into an inverted conical shape.

JYOHN RAYMOND CUTHBERT QUILTER. J AMES GREGORY. 

